Culinary heritage – Vegetarian Soljanka

Soljanka – a hearty dish that was omnipresent on our trip through Saxony, Brandenburg and Thuringia. It probably is the best known Russian soup besides Borschtsch. It’s popular all around Eastern Europe and exists in uncountable variations.

In Germany the popularity basically is limited to the eastern part of the country. 40 years of separation into two different states left its traces – by far not only, but as well in terms of culinary traditions. Due to ‘socialist brotherhood’ a lot of Russian, but also Polish, Czech, Hungarian recipes and dishes found their way to the GDR. After more than 25 years of German Unity most of the socialist heritage in Eastern Germany has vanished – at least at the surface. Coming from Western Germany one can only try to imagine what this immense changes demanded from the people. How would I have felt if – basically over night – the whole system I lived would have gone, not only gone, but judged ‘the wrong’? I guess it’s understandable to feel one’s whole life kind of devaluated.

So, I guess its important that not everything of this 40 years is trying to be erased, especially when it comes to everyday culture, cause it is the (hi)stories of people.

And so we ate ourself through Pelmeni, Plinsen and Soljanka…

The latter is a perfect autumn and winter dish and, once at home, I immediately tried my own version.

The name Soljanka actually means ‘salted’ in Russian, cause an important ingredient in this Russian soup where salted vegetables. Most recipes nowadays use regular gherkins, f.ex. the famous Spreewaldgurken (Spreewald gherkins). Apart from that most of the ingredients are mutable. The base of the popular GDR recipe was tomato paste, Letscho/Lecsó and leftovers of sausages and cured meat. I made my Soljanka instead ‘from scratch’ with tomatoes and bell peppers and I substituted sausage and meat leftovers with smoked tofu, added smoked paprika powder. But the flavours of Eastern European cuisine are still present: gherkins and brine, a bit of mustard, dill and sour cream.

And although I didn’t grow up with Soljanka, don’t have sentimental (or traumatic) memories with it, this dish could well from now on become one of ‘my recipes’.

And if you’re lucky enough to still find some gherkins for pickling on the farmes market, you should hop over to Julia and try her recipe to stock up your pantry. I came to late this year 😦